Which theorists are associated with the concept of individualisation in the material?

• A. Beck-Gernsheim (2002) and Giddens (1993)
• B. Parsons and Murdock
• C. Durkheim and Weber
• D. Foucault and Bourdieu

Answer: (A)

Individualisation is the idea that modern life prompts people to shape their own biographies more than traditional roles or institutions dictate. In late modern thought, traditional ties loosen and individuals must continually negotiate choices about relationships, work, and identity, taking more personal responsibility for these life courses. The theorists who are most closely tied to this concept argue that modernity pushes people toward greater self-determination, reflexivity, and individualized life projects. Beck-Gernsheim, especially with the 2002 work, and Giddens, in his discussions of modernity and self-identity, are central to this view. They show how couples, families, and life paths become more fluid and negotiated rather than fixed by tradition or social structure.

Other theorists mentioned focus on different aspects of society. Parsons and Murdock emphasize traditional family stability and social order; Durkheim and Weber frame modernization around social facts, order, and rationalization rather than the specific drift toward individual self-authorized biographies; Foucault and Bourdieu explore power, discipline, and structure, or habitus and fields, rather than the core idea that individuals increasingly construct their own, self-directed lives in late modernity.